Continuous diffusion battery



y 1952 H. F. SILVER CONTINUOUS DIFFUSION BATTERY Filed April 20, 1949 HAR OLD E SILVER I N V EN TOR.

BY 0A m ATTORNEY Patented July 22, 1952 2,604,417 Y commons mi rusrou'aa rrsar Harold FrSilver, Denver,- Cilia; npnlicaucn A i-1120, 19 l9,'.Serial No. 8354s 3 Claims. .(Cl; 5121-1-96.)

This application is a continuation-in-part of my co-pending application Serial N umber 619,163, filed September 28, 1945, now Patent No. 2,468,720, for Continuous Diffusion Battery and Treatment, and the invention relates to a method of and apparatus for the treatment'of divided solids material 'With liquid, and more particularly to a continuous difiusion method and apparatus useful in the processing of sugar beets, sugar cane, corn, other grain products, and. the like.

Among the objects'of the present inventionare to provide a method and apparatus useful in carrying out the process of: my above said copending application Serial Number 619,163, and particularly with an apparatus which does not require the use of an endless or continuous conveyer to circulate the divided material; to pro: vide such apparatus in which an adequate hydraulic head ismaintained by a circulating agitating impeller; and to provide diffusion apparatus which is adaptabl not only :tothe treatment of sugar beets or cossettes produced. therefrom, but also to the treatment of other materials, including sugar cane, grain such as cornyand other solids in divided or finely dividedform, wherein a solid andyliquidcontact treatment is to be carried out. and the loose granularma'terial is of such a character that when suspended in liquid it cannot be effectively carried alon .in acircuitwithan.endlessconveyer.

Thus, aparamount object of they inventionis to provide-a battery 'ofcells in series wherein, both the solids and liquid are continually kept flowing through the series of cells Without any stagnation of fluid at any place or places, by rotary impeller means for maintaining theintermixture of solids andliquid in analmost constant state of agitation, to extract the maximum juices or other constituents of thesolids withminimum power factor.

Other objects and'advantages of theiinyention will become apparent. from 'thefolloxyingdescription, taken with reference to the accompanying drawingin which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly insection, of the apparatus constituting one embodimentiof the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of, thesame; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section'ofthe drainage device forming apart of the apparatus .shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

For the handling of more finely. divided material than. sugar beet cossettes, such as corn or other cereal grains; treated for extraction of oertain constituents therefrom, and' particularly material which cannot be effectively moved progressively by an endless-or continuous-conveyer. of the type illustrated inmy co-pendin'g application above identified, the method and apparatus disclosed herein may be utilized. In such method, the liquid is: moved generally countercurrently-to the divided solids, and ineach stage the liquids and solids are intermixed and move inthesame direction, as in the method disclosed in said co pending application, but. the divided material is moved :through the stages and lrept in estate of agitationby an impellin'g force applied adjacent thelower end of. the downward course and throughout the upward-course of each stage, such impelling or agitating force thereby being applied totheintermixture of divided solids and liquid. V

One formof apparatusadapted toearry. out the above method-comprises the embodimentof the invention disclosed. herein. In such embo'di- 1 ment, there is no conveyer, and the cells, such 'as cells Cl, 02' and C3 of Figs. 1 and 2, are preferably disposed side by side, in a single row, each cell consisting of a downward'course provided by ahousing 1:25 and an. upward course provided by a larger compartment Jformed. byua cylindrical tank 12E. Divided material to be treated enters the upper end of the housing .ofthefirst cell C1, as'through an inlet 121, while the liquid enters the cell through a pipe I28. The housing I25 of each cell may have a cross sectional shape at the top substantially that ,aof' an..elongated rectangle, and at the bottom that. of a. circle, with sides which taper outwardly. .andaends which tap-er :inwardly to connect the two.

.The lower end of the housing I25 corresponds in cross section to the periphery of a centrifugal impeller [30, which .is mounted in a housing Hi and is adapted to discharge the mixture of liquids and solids through an outlet-I32 to the loweraend of tank, ['25. impeller I30 maybe rotated :by a shaftv 13.3 which extends downwardly through the housing, and at its upperend is provided with ,movement, themixture is preferably slowly stirred. or agitated inany suitable manner, such as by :paddles [3.5 "maintain thexsolidsfthoroughly dispersed in the liquid and 3th iayoid any accumulation of solids I25 faster than through the tank, due to the an I 7 ference in cross-sectional area. 7 Thus, the mixture moves slowly upwardly through the tank to a discharge level I4I above that of the liquid inletlevel I42, and the liquid is removed from the solids by a cylindrical screen device S", prefer- 2,604,417 Till ;i

ably rotated in the direction of the arrow of Fig;

1, so that as the liquid is drained from the solids, the solids will be carried over the top of the screen and slide onto an apron I43, which forms an inlet for the downward course of the next cell 02'.

The liquid flows by gravity from cell to cell, and the column of material in housing I maintains a hydraulic head upon impeller I to insure effective operation of the impeller, which not only mixes the solids and liquid, but also produces a velocity head which is converted into a static head to maintain the discharge liquid level in the tank above the inlet liquid level in the housing.

As will be evident, the liquid flowing throughv pipe I28 to the first cell, fiows by gravity from outlet I44 of the previous cell in the liquid circuit, and the liquid similarly flows to each cell from the next previous cell of the liquid circuit, the first cell in the solids circuit being, of course, the last cell in the liquid circuit. The liquid discharged from cell CI may be carried by suitable piping from outlets I44 thereof to the next processing step.

Screen device S" may be constructed in substantially the same manner as the screen device 3 of the aforesaid co-pending application, and as indicated in Fig. 3, is provided with a plurality of slotted rings 10. Such a screen device may also be provided with suitable cleaning means I45, similar to the one shown in said co-pending application.

If desired, the screen device may comprise a screen of perforated plate or woven wire mesh attached to a supporting framework, the more finely divided the material, the smaller will be the openings in the screen. In such instance, a suitable scraper, or the like, may be attached to apron I43.

'It is to be noted that impellers I30 can accommodate considerable fluctuation in feed, and each large compartment tank I26 is always filled to the discharge level I4I, so that the speed of impellers I30 need not be as closely controlled as the speed of the drive shafts of the endless conveyor disclosed in the aforesaid co-pending application. Also, since an endless conveyor is not employed in the'present application, the 'cells may be disposed-on 'a single level, either in line or in'a circular or other formation, and cells maybe added or subtracted as desired. It will further be understood-that the cells may be disposed vertically, .or in stepped 'arrangement, one above the other,i and that; the-liquid ,may be pumped from cell 'to cell, although. a gravity flow fromcell toceIlispreferred; for? economy and simplicity. t V A} From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the method and apparatus of this application attains the objects specified in my aforesaid application and herein, and further that the meth- 0d and apparatus of this invention permit the treatment of a wide variety of materials. It will also be understood that many other embodiments of the invention exist, and that various changes in the method and apparatus may be made without departing" from the spiritand scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for treating divided solids material with a liquid, which comprises a plurality of spaced vertical housings, each housing being substantially rectangular in shape at the top, and

circular in shape at the bottom; a plurality of spaced vertical substantially cylindrical tanks, alternating with respect to said housings and connected with said housings so as to form a plurality of connected stages, each stage including an interconnected housing and tank, each tank having a lower end of reduced cross sectional area; an impeller mounted at the connection'between the tank and housing; a conduit leading from the outlet of said impeller to the lower endof the tank of the same stage; means for rotating said impeller; agitating and stirring meansmounted' in said tank; means for rotating said agitating and stirring means; means for supplying divided solids to the upper end of the housing of the first stage; means for supplying fresh liquid to the upper end of the housing of the last stage in series; a horizontally disposed, rotating cylindrical screen device for removing liquid from each tank adjacent the upper end thereof, said screen device being rotated in a direction tending to move divided solids out of said tank; an apron mounted adjacent the rotating screen device of at least each stage except the last for receiving said divided solids and directing the same to the upper end of the housing of the cell next in series; and a plurality of liquid conduits leading from each end of the rotating screen device of each stage except the first to a point intermediate the upper and lower ends of the housing of the next stager '2. Apparatus for treating divided solids materials with a liquid comprising a pair of elongated substantially vertical chambers in side by side relation, the first of said chambers having openings adjacent its upper endadapted to receive said solids materials and liquid, the second of said chambers having an outlet opening for treated liquid'adjacent its upper end at an elevation greater than the elevation of said liquid inlet opening in said first chamber, rotary impeller means disposed adjacent the lower ends of said chambers, structural means defining the inlet and discharge zones of said rotary impeller, said inlet defining structural means being directly connected to the lower end of said first chamber to deliver the intermixed solids and liquid in said first chamber under a hydraulic pressure'headto said impeller, and said outlet defining structural means being connected to the lower end of said second chamber for delivering the impeller agitated intermixed solids and liquid under an increased pressure head upwardly through said second chamber for separate discharge.

3. Apparatus for treating divided solids materials with a liquid comprising a pair of elongated substantially vertical chambers inside by side relation, the first of said chambers having 5 openings adjacent its upper end adapted to receive said solids materials and liquid, the second of said chambers having ancutlet opening for treated liquid adjacent its upper end at an elevation greater than the elevation of said liquid inlet opening in said first chamber, rotary impeller means disposed adjacent the lower ends of said chambers, structural means defining the inlet and discharge zones of said rotary impeller, said inlet defining structural means being directly connected to the lower end of said first chamber to deliver the intermixed solids and liquid in said first chamber under a hydraulic pressure head to said impeller, said outlet defining structural'means being connected to the lower end of said second chamber for delivering the impeller agitated intermixed solidsand liquid under an increased pressure head upwardly through said second chamber for separate. discharge, and stirring means in said second chamher for maintaining the intermixed relation of said solids and liquid.

HAROLD F. SILVER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS v Date Great Britain 1933 

1. APPARATUS FOR TREATING DIVIDED SOLIDS MATERIAL WITH A LIQUID, WHICH COMPRISES A PLURALITY OF SPACED VERTICAL HOUSINGS, EACH HOUSING BEING SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR IN SHAPE AT THE TOP, AND CIRCULAR IN SHAPE AT THE BOTTOM; A PLURALITY OF SPACED VERTICAL SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL TANKS ALTERNATING WITH RESPECT TO SAID HOUSINGS AND CONNECTED WITH SAID HOUSINGS SO AS TO FORM A PLURALITY OF CONNECTED STAGES, EACH STAGE INCLUDING AN INTERCONNECTED HOUSING AND TANK, EACH TANK HAVING A LOWER END OF REDUCED CROSS SECTIONAL AREA; AN IMPELLER MOUNTED AT THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE TANK AND HOUSING; A CONDUIT LEADING FROM THE OUTLET OF SAID IMPELLER TO THE LOWER END OF THE TANK OF THE SAME STAGE; MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID IMPELLER; AGITATING AND STIRRING MEANS MOUNTED IN SAID TANK; MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID AGITATING AND STIRRING MEANS; MEANS FOR SUPPLYING DIVIDED SOLIDS TO THE UPPER END OF THE HOUSING OF THE FIRST STAGE; MEANS FOR SUPPLYING FRESH LIQUID TO THE UPPER END OF THE HOUSING OF THE LAST STAGE IN SERIES; A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED, ROTATING CYLINDRICAL SCREEN DEVICE FOR REMOVING LIQUID FROM EACH TANK ADJACENT THE UPPER END THEREOF, SAID SCREEN DEVICE BEING ROTATED IN A DIRECTION TENDING TO MOVE DIVIDED SOLIDS OUT OF SAID TANK; AN APRON MOUNTED ADJACENT THE ROTATING SCREEN DEVICE OF AT LEAST EACH STAGE EXCEPT THE LAST FOR RECEIVING SAID DIVIDED SOLIDS AND DIRECTING THE SAME TO THE UPPER END OF THE HOUSING OF THE CELL NEXT IN SERIES; AND A PLURALITY OF LIQUID CONDUITS LEADING FROM EACH END OF THE ROTATING SCREEN DEVICE OF EACH STAGE EXCEPT THE FIRST TO A POINT INTERMEDIATE THE UPPER AND LOWER ENDS OF THE HOUSING OF THE NEXT STAGE. 